Katy, Texas, is a fast-growing city, and its giant freeway has too many cars jostling for space. The stretch between Katy mills outlet and the new Legacy Stadium can be treacherous at times.
Car accidents result in a lot of damage, and that’s when you need a Katy car accident lawyer to help you out.
Besides the property damage, you can get some nasty cuts and bruises, and in most cases, something more damaging. The financial and emotional losses can be terrible and often leave you at a loss, literally. If, unfortunately, you are in any such accident, here’s what you need to remember to do:
Collect Vital Evidence from the Scene
The accident scene is alive with bits of evidence that can prove who’s liable and for approximately how much. Hence, unless you are rendered immobile by accident, you should:
- Exchange insurance and other details (contact info) from the involved driver/s.
- Take photos of the scene, clearly depicting the damage to property and self.
- Get contact details from witnesses, if any.
- Jot down whatever details you can about the accident.
- File a report with the police.
Get Medical Attention
In case you are hurt badly, you need to call for medical help immediately (if you can’t, get a bystander to do it for you). Even if the external injuries are superficial, you never know what damage has been caused internally.
You may be in shock for the first few minutes; only a detailed medical examination can detect severe injuries. A whiplash injury is quite common in a car accident caused by your head’s violent movement, causing neck pain. Call 911 immediately and seek medical treatment.
Filing Insurance Claim
Soon after a car accident, you need to file an insurance claim. The sooner, the better, because both parties’ insurance companies will try to negotiate a settlement, depending on who’s at fault. It would help if you spoke to a Katy car accident lawyer before negotiating or agreeing to any settlement offers.
If the insurance company is not willing to make good all the losses, legal action is required. Note that if a car accident is caused due to a pothole on the road, the city of Texas is not liable for any property damage.
Contact an Accident Attorney
If you feel that damages are severe and you may get a raw deal, you need to take legal action. However, before doing that, you need to contact a knowledgeable and experienced Katy car accident lawyer to discuss your case’s details to determine how much compensation you can claim. Committing to anything before that is not advisable.
Negotiating with the other Party
Once you have handed over your case to an attorney, they will take over and contact the other party’s insurance company and lawyer to negotiate a settlement. Before that, your attorney may want to conduct an accident and medical investigation to assess the damages.
The Settlement
The negotiations can go back and forth for a while before a mutually agreeable settlement is finalized. Trust your Katy car accident lawyer to keep your best interests in mind while filing a lawsuit and going to trial. An out-of-court payment is quite possible, failing which your lawyer will fight it out in the court on your behalf.
Summing it Up
With over 12 000 severe injury cases reported in Texas in 2019, the car accident scenario is quite alarming. While safe driving should be the practice to adopt, being prepared for unfortunate incidents is very important. Contact this Katy car accident lawyer for any information on accident-related legal counseling.